Imperfection
by AoiroFox
Summary: The guardian saplings have died, and once more it is Amaterasu's duty to save the world. With betrayal and death all around, she must struggle against all odds, for peace, for friendship, and... for revenge. epic! slight ammun full summary inside
1. Prologue

-1**Summary:**

** For six long years, Issun has remained alone. Gone are the days of adventure and companionship that he spent with Amaterasu, and now spends his time within the depths of Yoshpet. However, deep in the shadows of Agata Forest, where the last wisps of Yami's dark power still lurk, a new trouble awakens. In a single night, the guardian saplings wither and die, and as the last sakura blossom falls, it once more becomes Amaterasu's duty to defend the world. Immediately, she seeks the partnership of her most true ally - and soon realises how much her departure had crushed the poncle, and just how bitter time has made him. But as she battles against the odds, she must fight not only for survival, not only for Issun's trust, but for revenge. [epic![slight ammun**

_**---**_

_Silence. _

_The celestial plain was peaceful, the springy grass bouncing ever so slightly in the faint breeze, as the unearthly light streamed down from the crescent moon. Upon the highest ridge, a Sakura tree swayed, far larger and more intricate than any of it's earthly decedents. Beneath the long shadow cast by the ancient plant, slept a white, canine figure. Her body with lithe, yet muscular, and she held an aura of power and authority, even in slumber. Crimson markings swirled delicately into her ivory pelt, and the tip of her curled tail was jet black. One perfectly shaped ears twitched, and blinking blearily, the amber eyes of the she-wolf opened. Her powerful jaws parted in a yawn, and she gazed contentedly down at her sanctuary. The stars continued to shine, stark white in the endless skies, and for a single instant, there was a sense of complete and utter peace. _

_But the moment did not last long._

_A chilling, inhuman screech broke the air, followed by a blast of icy wind. Amaterasu leapt to her paws, as a second, more desperate cry met her auds. She gave a sharp bark, bounding down the ridge and summoning a flaming disc upon to her back as a weapon, but before she even reached flat ground, there was silence. Narrowing her eyes, and pumping her legs faster, the goddess hit the ground at last. And suddenly, without warning, there was darkness. Amaterasu gave a yelp of shock, skidding to a halt. She swung her head from side to side in desperation, but it was hopeless; the stars, moon, and even the glow from her own divine instrument were completely extinguished. She threw back her head, letting out an ear-splitting howl, but knew it was too late - there was nothing she could do now but wait for the light to return._

_And it did, just as suddenly as it had left. Amaterasu was on her paws again in a heartbeat, dashing around the hill, over the rocks, and down another slope, tail streaming behind her and ears flat against her head. She burst around the corner, only to give another startled cry of shock, sliding to another awkward halt. Golden eyes wide in horror and maw hanging open in shock, she gazed down at the still, lifeless body of Waka. _

No_, she thought, refusing to believe what she saw. But after leaping to his side and nuzzling his face, the wolf knew it was true. Letting the tears stream freely down her narrow muzzle, she threw back her head and let out a long, mournful wail, before crouching beside her friend once more, nose pressed against his cheek._

_In her despair, the deity did not even notice the tip of a black, scaled tail as it whipped around the edge of the hill and out of sight._

_And silence reigned once more._

-------

**A/N: **

_**Yes, I've decided to take another stab at writing fan fiction. I type slowly, and am poorly motivated, but damnit, I'm gonna try. I'd just like to say… reviews are my lifeblood. I need those things to survive… or, at least, to write. So, here you have it; my attempt at Okami fan fiction. Be warned, the rating will most likely change. I enjoy violence, and swearing. Oh yes.**_


	2. Chapter 1

-1The forest was mercifully calm. Pale afternoon light still shone down through the bare branches, the dappled golden patches still dancing feebly amongst the thick layer of leaves. And for a few hours, there was little more movement than the rush of the wind and rustle of smaller animals as they foraged. It was autumn, and there were a mere few days to go before the harsh winter struck Nippon, and Kamui again became little more than a frozen wasteland. It was cold - incredibly so. Moments before, the first few flakes of winter snow had begun to fall, and there would soon be no greenery on the forest floor.

It was high in the branches of an oak tree where the poncle sat, still and lifeless as a statue. The tiny creature rested higher than the ever-falling leaves, at the tips of branches where frost had begun to develop in intricate, glimmering webs of white. The wind, which had begun to flow down from the mountain peaks in chilling drafts, buffeted the branches, causing Issun to shiver briefly.

He had been there for days now. Several had come, friends and family alike, in attempts to reason with him. Even his grandfather had come, and near begged Issun to return home, but eventually, he too returned empty-handed to Ponc'tan. The young poncle would simply not comply, and it was not long before they all gave up, merely hoping that he would have the sense to come back before winter hit. Issun had treated each of them in the same manner - a cold comment, or a dry, toneless order to go away. He did not want to be in Ponc'tan, not now. Not on this day. So he sat, high above the ground, his brush in one hand and a single piece of parchment in front of him. The ink was splattered carelessly into a vague figure, smudged and too messy to identify. But he did not care, for his talent had long since deserted him.

_Just like her, _Issun thought idly, leaning back against the trunk. _Guess she just wasn't worth the effort, either. _With a soft sigh, his eyes wandered upwards, towards the sky where the last few streaks of colour faded into the darkness of night. Clouds swathed together in the darkness, heavy and grey, so that he could no longer see the moon, or stars. The forest fell into shadow, pitch black and lonely. The scuffling sounds, which had been comforting moments ago, became unnerving, the whistling of the wind eerie and unnatural.

Issun felt the hair on the back of his neck stand, and an involuntary shiver ran down his spine. Shifting slightly on the branch, he gazed around, bewildered as to why he was suddenly so nervous. The limb beneath his feet swayed suddenly, causing Issun to cling to a twig for dear life. And then, with a sudden lurch, the bough snapped completely. With a hoarse cry of alarm, Poncle and branch plummeted towards the ground, landing with a crash.

It was then, as he groggily pulled himself from beneath the mess, that Issun realised just how dark it truly was. He could now only faintly make out the lines of the trees, and the Guardian Sapling upon the highest peak was just a blurry black shadow. Frowning, Issun pulled himself to his feet, quickly climbing back up the tree to get a better look at the sky.

From the tips of the frosted branches, he could make out the sakura tree more clearly. It swayed steadily in the wind, which was becoming colder by the minute, a silhouette against the coal black sky. There was no longer any sign of the moon or stars, nor the heavy clouds. The entire night was swathed in inky-black shadow.

"Issun!"

The cry made his heart skip a beat, and Issun spun around to see the faint yellow glow of his grandfather. Ishako leapt towards him, climbing with surprising agility through the leaves, until he stood on the shaking bough beside Issun. His cloak billowed in the gale, allowing Issun to see the sword he had strapped to his belt, gleaming and unsheathed.

"Issun, we must get to the Guardian Sapling!" he cried, over the fierce roar of wind, taking the younger poncle forcefully by the arm. "Come!"

"Wha-!?"

But his question was drowned out by a terrible, high pitched sound. The noise was like nothing Issun had ever heard before; it was a screech of unearthly tone, ear-splitting, that sent chills down the poncle's spine once more. It was a cry of death, and of evil, and in the split second that he heard it, Issun feared for his life. He screwed his eyes shut, clamping his hands over his ears in an attempt to block the sound, just wishing it would _stop. _And when it did, he felt incredibly weak. His knees shook with the effort of supporting him, and he gasped for breath. He tentatively opened his eyes, squinting into the darkness, trying to regain his bearings.

What he saw made him want to shut his eyes again, and wish he could just awaken from the nightmare. Yet, somehow, he could do nothing but stare in horror, and listen to his grandfather shriek his name over and over again.

Beside the Guardian Sapling, was another silhouette. It had a long, snake-like body, and would have most certainly towered about the trees if it stretched to full height. Horns jutted from the back of it's head, and jagged spikes could be seen, flowing down it's spine. But the part that terrified Issun the most was the pure, absolute, darkness. The creature made the jet-black sky behind it seem grey, the guardian sapling almost glowing in comparison. He had never seen anything so sombre, so ominous.

And then he saw it's eyes.

The first thing he noticed about them was how agonizingly bright they were. They glowed so vividly that Issun was sure they would blind him, and yet, they gave off no light against the shadows, no reflection on the ground or snow. They shone so brightly that Issun could not be sure of the colour, but they seemed to be a shocking, inhuman shade of green.

The silhouette opened it's mouth again, letting out another shrieking cry. With wide eyes, Issun and Ishako watched as it reared onto it's hind legs, the sound of it's voice still echoing in the darkness. Swirled markings, in a sickly purple colour, began to glow upon it's body, gleaming green eyes narrowing to slits. The markings grew brighter and brighter, until Issun had to squint just to see what was happening.

Then, the creature opened it's mouth once again, and roared.

If the previous sound had been painful, Issun did not know how to describe this one. It penetrated deep in his skull, and he threw his hands over his eras once more, feeling as though his head was going to explode. Light danced in front of his eyes, and he shut his eyes, falling back to land in the dirt. The pain grew steadily, as the roars became continuously louder. Heart pounding in his chest, Issun struggled to his knees, keeping his hands firmly over his ears. Cracking open his eyes, he tried to focus on the blinding shape.

The beast opened it's mouth once more, patterned body flaring with colour, threw back it's head, and breathed. Terrible, black fire shot from the creature's mouth, engulfing the Guardian Sapling in jet-black flames that danced and licked at the trunk. And with that, thee was silence. The wind stopped whistling, though Issun could still feel the cold air rushing against his face. The leaves no longer rustled, his grandfather no longer shouted. The shadowed beast was silent.

Yet, he could still hear the sound of the sakura burning, the blossoms shrivelling, and the bark crackling. He could see it clearly, the black inferno blazing, letting off a strange, darkness of it's own, and he could still see the fading purple glow of the monster's intricate markings. And he watched, frozen with pure horror, as the Guardian Sapling burned to the ground.

Then he heard the terrible sound again, the screech of terrible darkness, the sound of death. White-hot pain exploded inside his head, and with a feeble cry of pain, Issun fell to the ground, red light washing over his vision.

And it was then that the beast chose to leave, slinking away silently into the shadows, sickly green eyes still blazing in the shadows.

'…_Issun…'_

He shifted to the side, shutting his eyes tighter. He was comfortable here, and oh-so peaceful. He had not slept so easily since that time, so long ago.

'_My dear Issun…'_

_Go away, _Issun thought irritably, burying his face in his arms. _Leave me alone. _

'_Awaken, Issun… you must wake…'_

_No, _he thought back groggily, attempting to block out the voice. Yet, at the back of his mind, he felt a tug. Something about this was familiar. He slowly opened his eyes, and was momentarily blinded by the sunlight. A figure towered over him, and he felt something cold and wet nudge him in the side.

_Who…?_

'_Up, Issun, it is time to rise.'_

Now the voice was more commanding. And so, with painful slowness, Issun pulled himself upright, into a sitting position, rubbing at his eyes. He raised his head, looking up at the one who had roused him. The 'person' was hauntingly familiar, a sight that Issun had not seen for four years, nor planned to ever see again.

And rage flooded into him. With a cry, he leapt to his feet, giving a furious yell.

"You!"

Amaterasu doubled back in shock, head tilted to one side. She stepped forwards again, lowering her muzzle to his height.

'_Issun, what-?'_

"You!" he spat again, drawing his sword in one smooth motion, pointing it at the white she-wolf. "What are you doing here!? What do you want!?"

'_Issun, it is me-!'_

"I know who you are, Amaterasu!" Issun snarled, jabbing his sword forwards slightly. "And I want to know what the hell you think you're doing here!"

**A/N:**

**Haha, I have more, but I had to cut it off here, or it made no sense. I hope to update every few days, but knowing me, that will more than likely be a fortnightly thing. xD I'm sorry this was so short, but I haven't had much time to write. But soon, I'll have eight and a half weeks of summer holidays to write in. ;D Review, people, review!**


	3. Chapter 2

-1"What the hell do you think you're doing here!?" Issun demanded again, sunlight gleaming on the tiny blade of his sword. "Answer me now, damnit!"

'_Silence, Issun!'_

Amaterasu drew her lips back into a snarl, slamming one paw down on the ground in front of him, causing the poncle fall silent immediately, more shocked than obedient. She growled at him, the sound rumbling from low in her throat, and glared at him through narrowed amber eyes that gleamed gold in the sunlight. Issun hastily sheathed his weapon.

'_Issun, do you remember what happened last night?'_

Isuun opened his mouth to reply, but no words cam out. Choosing to forget his anger for a moment, the poncle furrowed his brow, thinking carefully. "I… I don't think so… No…"

'_Look at the Sapling, Issun.'_

Even after six years, following the calm, yet firm commands of the telepathic voice was something the poncle obliged to, feeling natural, familiar, even. Without thinking, Issun turned his head to face the highest ridge, where the Guardian Sapling had stood only hours before.

And as his mouth dropped open in shock, the images flooded back into him. He could still recall the strange, surreal darkness, the purple markings and the inky black flames. The tall, proud tree, burning to the ground as though it were little more than a twig. And there were the eyes. Issun felt he could never forget those eyes, the vivid, acid green tone, the incredible brightness, and the pure feeling of death that had pierced him whilst looking into them. The vision was still fresh in his mind, as real and horrifying as it had been the night before.

And only then, after forcing the memories to the back of his mind, did Issun truly see what was left of the tree. The blackened, collapsed trunk had fallen at some stage, all the branches burnt into grey and white dust. Some of the embers still smoked, sending thin plumes of smoke into the air. Ash, cinders, all of it. Nothing more than a pile of charcoal, quickly being buried in a delicate layer of snow. That caused Issun to blink; clearly, it had snowed after he passed out last night. Winter was here at last. But now, that wasn't as important. Slowly, Issun turned back around to face Amaterasu, gazing blankly up into her eyes.

She looked back at him, ears flattened slightly. Her yellow gaze was steady, yet he could almost feel the waves of anxiousness rolling off her pelt.

'_Well?' _

"…I remember… of course I remember…"

Her head tilted to the side, and she nodded at him. Issun blinked. That clearly meant something along the lines of 'continue'. Didn't she know what had taken place here, only hours ago? Hadn't she seen?

It then dawned on the poncle that the wolf had no idea whatsoever what had happened. And here she was, asking for an account of it all. From _him_, of all people.

Fury washed over Issun again, and he glared defiantly into those golden orbs. "What, you want me to tell you what happened last night?" He snorted mirthlessly. "I'm not your slave, Amaterasu. I thought you were a _god_, shouldn't you just know these things?" With a roll of his eyes, Issun continued, voice dripping with sarcasm. "Wow, you just do all of your duties _so_ well. Deity my a-"

He was cut off by a furious bark.

'_Issun, how dare you!' _her telepathic voice nearly shrieked. _'This is important, can you not see?! I must know what happened! Something must be done!'_

Issun glowered at her, still locked in that blazing yellow gaze. "Fuck you, Amaterasu." he replied flatly, breaking the eye contact and turning away, aware at how she was bristling with rage. "Go and do something then, if that's what you want. I don't really care."

And, with his aura glowing a vivid orange, Issun stormed back into Yoshpet. Behind him, he heard a rush of pawsteps as the she-wolf bounded after him, and he heard her snarls, both telepathic and physical. He did not care, only moving faster.

'_Issun, get back here ­­right now!' _

He didn't think he'd ever heard her sound so angry. And so, he threw a rather rude hand gesture over his shoulder, not slowing his pace and he hopped into the shadows of the trees. She growled again, even more threatening than before. And for a moment, he thought she'd given up; certainly, the steady thud of her paws ceased.

And then, Issun felt the breath shoved quite forcefully out of his lungs, as a heavy paw crashed into his back, pinning him against the leaf-littered ground. His face was pressed into the cold earth, and he spat out a mouthful of dirt and snow. Gasping for breath, he felt himself be rolled over, limp as a ragdoll, until he was once again looking into Amaterasu's eyes. Quite audibly, Issun gulped. He recalled the thought of never hearing the wolf so angry; the tone of her voice now paled in comparison to the raw fury in her expression.

Pressing her muzzle right into the poncle's face, she opened her mouth, purposely exposing her gleaming white fangs. Her voice reverberated inside his head, and he for the first time in his life, he flinched away from her, honestly afraid.

'_Now, _Issun_, here is what will happen. I will hold you here, beneath tooth and claw, until you speak. I do not care how long it takes you, but you _will _tell me what happened last night… do you hear me?'_

"Why is it so important?" he asked, still trying to avoid looking at her face. It didn't work so well when she was close enough for him to feel her breath on his face. Just being so close to her made him mad again. _Goddamn wolf__…_ "Why can't you just leave me alone? If you really care so much, go and ask fuckin' Ishako!"

He was looking straight at Amaterasu now, struggling slightly beneath her heavy paw. But now, a blank look of confusion spread across her features. He felt the blunt claw that had been digging into his chest shift, the weight of her foot lightening.

'_Ishako? Ishako was with you?'_

He raised one brow at her. "Of course he was. Geez, you're worse at this than I thought you were."

'_Where is he now, Issun!?'_

He'd never heard her sound so frightened, either. _Talk about mood swings, _he thought dully. But all the same, her fear made him anxious. Amaterasu was a goddess, was she not? Things should be afraid of _her_, not the other way around. And yet, her expression was desperate, her eyes dull and wide with fear. Grunting with effort, he manages to haul himself out of her loosened grip, bouncing to his feet and shaking the dust from his clothes. Amaterasu barely noticed.

'_Answer me, now!'_

"I… I'm not sure…"

The wolf snarled at him, snapping her jaws a centimetre from his face. The poncle paled quite dramatically. _'__Then help me find him, you fool! Are you truly so blind? This is _important_, and we are all in danger. Find him, because if you will not help me, then he will have to.__'_

"What are you talking about, Amaterasu?" Issun cried, hand brushing over the decorated hilt of his sword. He hesitated for a second, before tightening his grip around it. "What the hell is so dangerous?" The wolf's panic make him nervous, though the logical part of his mind reminded him that his blade would do very little if she did turn against him. _Ah well, _he thought numbly. _Better than nothin__'_

But the she-wolf did not attack him, much to Issun's relief. She snarled at him again, but did little more than that before she began to pace, blunt claws ripping into the ground as she stamped her forepaws into the ground. Issun twitched, as he realised she was ignoring him. Traitor or not, she didn't have to be so annoying. And so, aura flashing orange again, he drew his blade and leapt onto the end of her muzzle with the ease of long practise.

The deja-vu that slammed into him then almost jolted him back to the ground. Issun flinched involuntarily, as memories swept back into his mind. Here was where he had stood the very first time he had met her. Where he had sat, chattering aimlessly, as they journeyed through Nippon. It was here, when he had seen her last, that he had stood, as the two of them made their way up the bridge into the Ark of Yamato.

That was when she had betrayed him. Left him, without a second thought, with no intention of ever coming back to him. He had watched her leave Nippon with that bastard of a prophet, after he saved her life, along with the whole damn world, without a word of thanks or of goodbye.

That was when he realised that she hadn't loved him at all.

But Issun was dragged quite forcefully back to the present by a rumbling telepathic growl, and he realised that he was staring into a pair of furious, amber eyes. Furious _wolf_ eyes.

Eyes of which he was pointing a small but sharp sword towards.

Jumping, he steadied his grip on the blade, though he lowered it to his side. "Well, Amaterasu?" Issun ground out, attempting to sound as unintimidated as possible. He realised that he was probably failing miserably, but kept up the act all the same. "Are ya gonna explain this crap to me, or not?" He smirked a bit at that, voice heavy with sarcasm. "Or am I just too below you, too _unworthy_ to hear such things?" He glared into those golden eyes, and felt as thought they were taunting him. "Well _sorry_, Amaterasu, but it's not my fault that I'm not a fuckin' goddess- "

'…_Waka is dead.'_

And the poncle's rather colourful rant came to an abrupt halt. "_What?!__"_

Slowly, so slowly, the wolf lowered her muzzle to the ground, and Issun hopped off it without complaint. Amaterasu then pressed herself into the cold earth beside him, laying her head next to him, and, all in all, looking quite pathetic, and just downright miserable. Issun almost felt sorry for her, and tentatively took a seat beside her cheek fur, waiting patiently for the whole story. He knew, she would not tell it any faster if he remained angry, and forced himself to be calm for the time being.

And after what felt like years, she began to speak, telepathic voice soft, and slightly shaky.

'_It was three nights ago, now, that it happened… Well, it was six years ago that he and I returned to the Celestial Plain. Though… I'm sure that your are already aware of that….'_

Issun grunted a wordless note of confirmation.

'_Yes… well, the plain was… not as expected. In the year that I travelled with you, Issun, it became a wasteland. The other gods had left it to rot, nearly all had abandoned it, and when we finally arrived back, there was little we could do to reverse it._

'_Bloom would not heal the Sakura tree. The strongest of Galestorms could not blow the dust nor smoke out of the air. And not even my most powerful Sunrise could light the shadows. Our home had died whilst we were not there to keep it alive._

'_But still, we had to live there, for we had no other choice. And for a whole year, we tried out hardest to reverse the effects of our initial leave. Each day, I would Bloom the Sakura, until I ran out of strength and ink. Waka would attempt to rid the darkness, and cleanse the water and grass._

'_Our efforts were wasted. Everything, it was all in vain. The Plain only deteriorated as we stayed there, our presence no longer having any effect, for good or otherwise. We could not leave, but staying only caused more suffering._

'_It was Waka's idea to do what we did, in the end. And… I believe that because of that, the one, single idea, all of this has begun. It was us who sentenced the world to this new doom. We acted before we thought, because we were too desperate to plan it out, or to consider the consequences… It is the reason I _must _set things right again, for this time it is my very own fault.'_

And it was here that Issun threw his anger away, if only for a single moment, to lay a comforting hand on Amaterasu's maw. The wolf was trembling now, and he knew the next words would not be of any comfort. She squeezed her golden eyes shut, speaking in the gentlest of whispers.

'_So we… we destroyed the Celestial Plain, Issun. Waka and I. By the time we were finished with it, it was completely and utterly gone.'_

_---_

**A/N: Yeah, I'm a shitty updater. Live with it. TT**

**Rating had to go up with this chapter. xD And I promise, the next chapter will have some violence. In fact, the next chapter will probably be all violence and action, as Ammy still has a hell of a story to tell.**

**Anyway, here ya go. I've decided that each of my chapters will be around 2000 words, simply because it means I can have semi-regular updates. I'm on summer holidays now, so I'm attempting to get a chapter out every week or so. However, I'll have no internet for more than a week, starting on Monday, because I'm visiting my grandparents. I should be back around boxing day, and I promise to have at least one more chapter ready by then.**

**So, revieeewwwwww . Seriously, I NEED those things to keep writing. That, and if anyone has a good reference to all the gods and place names in Okami, PLEASE send me the link. I no longer own a copy of the game and I;m having one hell of a time trying to find the names of all the gods. So thanks again AF**


	4. author's note

A/N:

Okay, okay, I know. I'm a bitch. I gave up on this after promising an update. But! After more than year, I've decided to give this another go. I promise, one day, I'll finish it. I'm currently revising the other chapters, and after I repost them, I'll put up a new chapter. I already have one completed, it just needs a bit of revision before I post it. Sorry to keep you waiting so long. :C I suck.

~Chelly (AF) 


	5. AUTHOR'S NOTE 2  UPDATE

So I'm currently in the middle of my 6th Okami playthrough, and I had a brainwave for this fic – I've worked out the plot hole that made me lose interest! I'm currently overhauling the current chapters to fix a few issues my 14 year old self had with writing, and hopefully there'll be a new chapter in the next couple of weeks.

I'm extremely busy with Uni, but I really want to get this fic back in action.

So, keep your eyes open for the next update! Thank you for still following this fic, if you are. C: Sorry for the epic delay.

Soon to update,

~AF


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